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Poster:
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Mandojammer |
Date:
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November 05, 2008 08:24:54pm |
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Forum:
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GratefulDead
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Subject:
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Re: for those that saw the dead live in the 90`s |
brew - I remember it like it was yesterday. I was stationed in upstate New York in Saratoga Springs and had driven to Hartford with my wife to catch the 3/19/90 show at the Civic Center. Pretty good show - but it seemed like Jerry was just not quite right. Jack-A-Roe was raw. He needed lots of help with the vocals in Eyes, but seemed to compensate with his playing. But when they played Brokedown Palace he sounded so thin and spent, my wife and I looked at each other in disbelief when he started singing the first verse. Bobby had to come in big over top to help carry. My wife told me Jerry sounded like he was dying.
Fortunately, that didn't happen and we saw some great stuff in 91 in Landover and Richmond, but you could tell he was fading.
My last show was 12/19/94 in LA. We were visiting my little sister - it was her 26th birthday and my wife and I took her, our daughter 9 and our son 6. The kids didn't "get it", neither did my sister for that matter.
They ended with Days Between - Lovelight - Brokedown. Jerry was pure fucking magic on Days Between - I knew I was witness to something special. Bobby channelled Otis Dey and the Knights on Lovelight and then Jer sent us home with one of the more plaintive Brokedowns I'd heard in years. To this day it remains one of my favorite shows - probably because of hindsight and astute observation - and I am a hardcore 68-73 fan.
Not sure if that answers your question, but thanks for the opportunity to share.
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Poster:
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Estimated Pete |
Date:
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November 05, 2008 10:12:01pm |
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Forum:
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GratefulDead
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Subject:
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Re: for those that saw the dead live in the 90`s |
Great post on the karma thing. I completely concur.
I saw many shows up close (1984-95) and started noticing a dramatic physical decline in Jerry around 1993-94. And not like he looked in '85. I used to tell my friends that I thought Jerry retired and Disney made a animatron Jerry that no one noticed, like in the Hall of Presidents. He had little emotion and appeared like he didn't enjoy what he was doing. His playing reflected that. He did still have his moments but they were few and far between. I had to catch whole tours just to catch the precious ones.
But like I always said, A bad Dead shows beats a great day at work any day. I met many great people at shows.
When I first heard Days Between, it remimded me of the decline of the scene. It was inevitable.
"The singing man is at his song
The holy on their knees
The reckless are out wrecking
The timid plead their pleas
No one knows much more of this
than anyone can see..."
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